Lifesaving net



sept 1, 1942- .w. Mol-:LLER 2,294,509

LIFES'AVING NET Filed Aug. 22. 19,40- 2 sheets-sheet 1 sept. 1,1942. W MELLER 2,294,509

LIFESAVING NET Filed Aug. 22, 1940 2 shee'csi-,sheetl 2 Patented Sept. l, 1942 NlTED STATES PATENT QFFICE LIFEsAvING NET William Moeller, Jersey City, N. J. Application August 22, 1940, serialV No. 353,591

Claims.

This invention relates to life saving nets. The old style rope life nets were made of B-Strand rope, the meshes being formed by seizing the cross ropes and the spiral rope with waxed twine, resulting in an unequally balanced product. The hazards of this net had not been fully realized until I, personally disclosed to many prominent fire chiefs, the danger to the men holding the` net as well as to the person jumping. At the time of impact, the jumper would strike the ground and several of the men holding the net would be dragged forward, 'sprawling into the net. Lack of substantial support thus made this net a dangerous piece of equipment and to obviate the above danger, I am submitting this new type of life saving net for approval.

The invention further relates to life saving apparatus and more particularly to life saving nets possessing new and more efficient features of construction regarding strength and resiliency and which may be quickly set up for rapid adjustment, to be held at or near a burning building by a group of firemen for catching jumping firemen and other citizens with safe results, and Ythe said life saving net Aof this invention is well equipped to receive and hold the said jumpers lfrom unusually high altitudes with a great de- -fgree of safety both to the said jumpers and to the supporters of the net.

It is thought best, at this time, to clearly describe the construction and materials preferably employed, and operation of the net as handled l.from the ground.

In this connection, I may first point out that `the main body of the net is made of 4-strand pure hemp rope, interwoven into interlocked or non-slipping spider-Web meshes of unique form and provided with a central set-up of a 4-strand pure hemp rope of laboratory-tested breaking strength of 1,800 pounds average. A sufficient number of spider or cross ropes of the above type are interwoven into a square, to form a center-piece of 18 x 18`. This center-piece made in four sections, in such a way that there is left sufficient horizontal and vertical space centrally of the said center-piece, to permit easy folding of the net, either in halves or quarters.

A spiral rope, which is the last rope of the square formation, is directed radially outward to form a circle. After the formation of the rst circle, it is locked and the same spiral rope is directed 4 to 5 inches outward to form another circle which is also locked, and this manipulation of the spiral rope is continued until nine or ten circles have been completed, according to the size of the net required, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

This invention further has for its principal mechanical feature, the provision of a rigid metallic ring, preferably consisting of a circular form of 9 feet, more or less, in diameter, constructed of a light weight material such as chrome molybdenum hollow steel tubing, made in two or four sections, hinged and locked t0- gether when in use, to form a continuous circular frame; and within this frame, spacedin parallelism therefrom, a continuous border rope is located and spliced; also provided are shock absorbers, properly spaced, and secured, one end to the metal frame and the inner end to said border rope; and within said shock absorbers and attached to the border rope at their inner ends and to the frame ring at their outer ends are auxiliary shock absorbers, acting in conjunction withthe largerA enclosing spring shock ab sorbers .for producing the cushioning action for a falling body, and thus carrying out my invention.

Referring now to the two sheets of ofcial drawings, disclosing my life net as a whole, after which the details of its construction in its favorite form is shown in several views, and in these drawings, it is notfmy desire to be limited as to the exact constructions shown, as many other forms may be adopted which would come within the description and claims and no limitation is intended by the language employed, both in the description and claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a developed or expanded face View of my new life net, set up for instant use.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail showing the type of lock mesh present in the bowl of the net.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing parts of the outer pipe ring `and inner rope ring connected by shock absorbers l2.

Fig. 4 vis a partial sectional plan View of one of the lock hinges placed at four equal points on the net supporting metallic ring.

Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a partial section of the hinge with two parts of the net ring shown in a closed position and the lock pins pushed inwardly into their sockets for locking said hinge.

Fig. 7 shows a portion ofthe pipe and border rings connected by a pair of shock absosrbers of one type.

Fig. 8 is a side sectional view of a form of auxiliary shock absorber.

The box hinges F39, Vare operated easier Aperiod of from 6 tou7 seconds.

than all former hinges on life nets and are also stronger. By the hinges being in the box vand disk form with a sleeve I on the opposite end of each box for receiving the terminals 52 of the metallic ring sections 53, and fastened thereto by 1A, screw pins 54' breakage from the said ring sections is avoided. The disks 55 are supported by a circular web 53 and this web is supported by quarter radial ribs 5l from the side Walls of the box proper.

The locking device is placed one side of the center of the companion disks for the purpose of permitting the lock bolt to enter each of the opposite recesses 34 simultaneously for provid,n

ing a double lock of double strength and canbef' released simultaneously ywith theV iingerspressing outwardly on the knobs 58 Without undue pressure upon the opposite springs 58 Within the opposite channels 60.

Ihe knobs 5B, are secured on upwardly directed pins 58-A, from slide blocks 6I, 6I'A, formed with a reduced bolt 62, andat'thirinner ends with asquared nose 53, whichnormally enter into interlocked engagement with'sockets or recesses 5l,`formed at theopposite sides ofv web meshes Ii, one of the principal objects of the design Vbeing to provide maximum resiliency and equalization of strength. Attached to the net is a seriesy of energy absorbingmembers I2, encircled and yieldingly supported by a' rigid framey I3. The life saving inet "I0, when not inv use, may be folded up 'either into lhalvesA or quarters, vfor transportation or storage andreopened for almost instantaneous action Within a All detailsY are ,describedbelow and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Y y v 'Ihe centerfpiece Ill, as clearly illustratedin Fig. 1, isAthe basis of the construction andv is formed by closely Aintervveaving a s eries of ropes .to form al square n I5, from which emanate the cross or radialropes I6.

'Ijhe center-pieceV is designed in four sectionsl toper'rnit the net to be folded more easily andcompactly 'either into halves or quarters. Y

Fig. 2 is a part or section of nthe net, illustrating the method of interweaving thek'cross ropes with the endless spiral rope into non-slipping meshes to form a spider-web design. The spiral rope, starting yas kone of the cross ropes, is Woven into the centerpiece as at' Il, Fig. 1, andV is then interwoven and securely'locked in position into the cross` ropes tofform a complete circle I9. It then continues at 2l), further from the center, to form another complete circle. This procedure continues until the required number of circles (9 or 10)` have beenmade. The end of each crossrcpe is madev intoY a 3-tuck eye splice at 2I, into whichk is inserted a frame rope 22, to which a seriesofshock absorbers I2, are attached. The ends of the framerope are joined together by a short-splice at 23, thus forming -a complete endless border.

I may employ an auxiliary shock absorber 3l), placed in every main spring shock absorber I2,

l and which may consist of Ya metal casing 3I,

having opposite holes 32', at one end to receive the terminals 33, of a metal ring 34, for encircling the metal main ring I3, of the net structure.

As shown in Fig. 8, of the drawings, the upper or inner end of the casing 30, may carry a screw cap 35, provided with a central hole 36, through which a plunger rod 31, having a lower head 38, on which an auxiliary spring 39, may rest, and said rod may have a ring 40, welded thereto and encircling the frame rope 22.

In lieu of the auxiliarycasing for limiting the contraction of the auxiliary spring 39, I may employ naked auxiliary springs 4I, having their ends coiled into loops 42, for disposal within thelarger springs or energy absorbing members,

if desired, and still have a 3-l0op connection of the shock absorber to the opposite metallic ring andthe frame rope.

. The component disks and companion parts of Vthe hinge are held in interlocked connection by' a'centralpivot -b'olt IDI), passing Ythrough aligned companion apertures formed into Va registering' smooth bore IDL-provided in one disk and 'a' threaded bore i112, provided in the Aopposite disk; the rthreaded end `ofthe lock bolt-.havingY a threaded "lock nut 'I03, vscrewed home against the adjacent hub 104, ofthe near-disk, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

What I claim" is:

l. The combination in a lifenet, a rigidmetallic frame', a borderV rope extending aroundvand inward of the frameandl spaced at a constant distance therefrom, Amain-shock absorbers connected toV said metalframe-and to saidrope and auxiliary shock absorbers A operable` within -each main shock absorber and having connections with the metal frame at one endv and with-the border rope at 'the other `end'to labsorb-allperipheral shocks 'subjected to said 'net within the said frame.

2'.'In combination with a-'life -net'mounted -within aA metallic ring *andan endless border rope; shock absorbers connecting said -ringand said' border Arope'the nethaving a center-piece `made up 'in' quarters/permittingsaid net to be and' 'the' ropes 'of 'said'l center-'piece except` one,

being continued `into a spider-web 4formation and having their ends spliced to the said-border rope as shown.

iLThecofnbinat'ion in a1 life saving net, of a -rigid 'metallic' 'outer frame comprising'fsections;

lock-'joints and' hingedfparts` lfor vinterconnecting said' sections; said' partscompri'sing disksand reinfor'cing box'parts'r'otatable on a :central bolt;

sleeves extending" oppositely from (said pivoted members and Fadapted to receive in inter-locked relation the adjacent ends of said frame sections;

ing or the like'into said 'netwhen' properlyfsupported.

5. "Ihe combination cfa` grasping-metallic ring comprising interlocked'" sections; an `endless border rope;v shock absorbers*resiliently'connected to the ring and border rope; a life net within and connected to said border rope; a center-piece of spider ropes made up in quarters centrally of the life net; a free rope emanating from the centerpiece and extended in spaced circles around said center-piece and interspliced to each successive spider rope in its path as its end is carried outwardly to be interconnected to its other integrall outermost terminal, as shown and described. v

6. The combination in a life saving nel; of a surrounding metallic ring jointed at four equidistant points; hinged connections for said joints, comprising interpivoted members having extensions formed for receiving the adjacent ends of the metallic ring sections, cross pins passing through said hinged extensions and through said adjacent ends of the ring sections, a closed rope ring disposed within and parallel with said metallic ring, shock absorbers cross connected to the said outer and inner rings, a life net having a central pad of crossed ropes continued radially and outwardly and connected to said rope ring, the ropes of said pad forming central cross spaces whereby said net may be compactly folded on the cross lines of said hinges for preventing damage to the cross ropes in frequent folding operations.

7. 'Ihe combination of a life saving net, a normally rigid metallic frame comprising four similar sections connected by hinged joints, a continuous rope ring within said frame; resilient radial devices connecting said frame and ring, auxiliary devices housed within said resilient devices and also having connection with said frame and ring, said life saving net being spliced to said ring and being formed with a square center-piece made of crossed, rectangularly laid ropes with the central crossed ropes of the center-piece omitted t permit, compact folding thereof, to avoid injury in packing.

8. The combination with a life saving net, an outer metallic frame divided at circumferential intervals for forming equal sections connected by hinged joints, said joints comprising similar opposite parts including component contacting lockdisks having supporting circular webs, a central bore having a smooth portion in one disk and a threaded portion in the opposite disk, a pivot bolt, a head on the smooth portion and a nut on the threaded end for locking the parts together, an inner rope frame for receiving said life saving net, and means arranged centrally 0f said net for permitting compact folding thereof for storage.

9. A life saving net comprising in combination with an outer metallic ring member composed of hinged joints of equal length and foldable one over another; an inner ring of flexible material; expansible outer and inner connections attached to across between the said ring members; a life net provided with a squared center-piece of spaced ropes with crossed centrally located vacant channels for permitting easy folding of the net along those lines without injury in frequent bending or packing; said ropes being carried outwardly from the center-piece radially and spliced to said inner ring, and a single rope carried around the center-piece in continuous rings and spliced to each radial rope in turn and to itself at its end; an-d said hinged joints of the outer ring member having lock-sockets and spring actuated bolts for entering said sockets for locking the companion parts of said joints in an open or closed position, and means for releasing said bolts from their sockets.

1). In combination with a sectional grasping ring a marginal fibrous ring therewithin, resilient devices connecting said rings at intervals and a life saving net disposed within and connected to said fibrous ring; box hinges connecting the parts of the sectional ring, the hinges comprising opposite contacting disks, each provided with diametrically opposite notches; spring pressed lock bolts having locking noses for engaging the notches, and means operated by fingers for withdrawing the noses from said notches when the bolt connected joint is to be broken for folding the parts for storage, as described.

WILLIAM MOELLER. 

